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Chamber chairman urges residents to buy local
Bob Bontempi has forged alliances with local chambers, business districts, clubs and schools
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| | | On Sept. 24, local chamber of commerce leaders met to unveil their marketing tools for the Buy Local campaign in Huntington township. From left: East Northport Chamber President Cliff Austen; Northport Chamber President Jane Fontaine, and Huntington Chamber President Bob Bontempi.
Photo by Richard Podlesney (click for larger version) | |
October 22, 2009 | 08:44 AM
With a name like "Bontempi," good times can't be too far away.
Or at least that's what Bob Bontempi, the new head of Huntington's Chamber of Commerce, hopes for the town's many merchants as he shepherds them through the recession.
Just winding down from the chamber's three-day extravaganza known as the "Long Island Fall Festival" in Heckscher Park, Bontempi is now firmly ensconced in "Restaurant Week," where 51 local restaurants throughout the town are offering three-course meals for $24.95 until Oct. 23.
"Pick a restaurant in Huntington, and it's probably there …" Bontempi said. "They're getting huge visibility and that's what they need to draw traffic, into not just the downtown areas but that sector that's been challenged in this tough economy."
Since taking over as chairman of the chamber's board in June, one of Bontempi's first initiatives was establishing a Huntington Township business council, to bring all the stakeholders together.
"Realizing we can't work in silos — we're all tied to each — it's not just one chamber," Bontempi said it was vital to have the four local chambers: Huntington, Northport, East Northport and Melville, the business improvement districts, the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs and school districts join forces, to discuss strategies and pertinent issues, like landlord-tenant relations.
Out of the new business council came the Buy Local: Stimulate the Economy marketing campaign — inciting shoppers to make purchases in their local communities. Today, posters are ubiquitous: in storefronts, libraries, at the arts council. There are cross-promotions, too, like the huge banners prominently placed at the entry points to the Fall Festival combined with a campaign — with the town and the Huntington Business Improvement District — to educate patrons about where the free parking lots are located throughout the village.
The one common theme that resonated for all the stakeholders, Bontempi said, was how to get people to redirect their spending and buy locally.
"All things being equal you could probably find the same item in the town as you might buy elsewhere," he said. Buying locally serves to "support local businesses, support local employees, pay local sales taxes that go into the county to pay for services. It's a multiplier effect."
Legislator Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Neck) concurs with Bontempi's concept and used it as a model for his "Shop Suffolk" bill, which the Legislature passed unanimously on Aug. 4. The bill directs the Suffolk county's Department of Economic Development to work with local chambers of commerce and business improvement districts to establish a county-wide consumer education campaign.
"Because it's proven that locally owned businesses are more likely to recirculate consumers' dollars into payments of other local suppliers," Cooper said.
A supporter of all businesses, Bontempi called the big chain box stores "an important cog in the community wheel." They also can give a competitive price and they're still paying local employees and local taxes, he said. "They're just as important as the downtown areas … everybody's got an important piece in the mix. They're not mutually exclusive. And we need to look at things that way."
Though many people have ideas, Bontempi is the real deal, said Tom Kehoe, Northport Village trustee and co-founder of the nascent business council.
"He's a gem," said Kehoe. "He not only has great ideas, but he executes. He knows how to take the idea, bring it into fruition, and that's fantastic. He's got a very big macro view of local issues and knows how to get things done."
An institutional account manager of a Fortune 100 medical education company, Bontempi thinks in sales and marketing terms.
"The challenge is you have to have the right reach and frequency — you can't just put it out there as an awareness campaign," he said. "Everything is built on the brand. When people see it over and over, they might think twice before buying something online."
To get his message out, Bontempi employed old-fashioned shoe leather tactics.
"I physically walked the streets with my little daughter, who was four at the time, and went merchant by merchant, asking them to put the poster up."
Despite his unwavering enthusiasm, Bontempi is realistic about the downturn in the economy and the many vacant stores throughout the town.
"Downtown revitalization is important to the community," he said. "If the downtown stores go down, it's a multiplier effect on the whole community."
Still, at least one fellow chamber member is rooting for Bontempi's success.
Vita Scaturro, branch manager of Community National Bank, called Bontempi "a leader that is able to motivate people by building productivity between them as well as integrating various groups of people with different talents and skills."
Born in Huntington and now living in Centerport, Bontempi has played a vital role in shaping his surrounding community for several years, serving on the boards of Pedersen Krag, the Huntington Planning Board, and the Huntington Chamber of Commerce.
"It's a great community," he said. "It's eclectic. It's diverse, and I'm just trying to make a difference."
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